Foodie Gossip – November 2010

Foodies, mark your calendars, the Fifth Annual Long Island Restaurant Week drops Nov 7-14. All participating restaurants, spanning the whole of Nassau and Suffolk counties in almost every genre you can think of will feature a 3-course prix fixe dinner created for the occasion for $24.95. It will be available all evening on those days and up to 7pm on Saturday. Go to longislandrestaurantweek.com for all the details.

Enjoying the outdoor air of the east end in the middle of fall can lead to chilled fingers and toes. To counteract the chill, why not quaff a hot beverage? The Hampton Coffee Company, with locations in Westhampton Beach (631) 288-4480 and Water Mill (631) 726-2633, are taking such soothing brews in interesting directions with a variety of pumpkin-flavored beverages. Go traditional with pumpkin coffee or get adventurous with a pumpkin latte or pumpkin white mocha. Look for free samples every weekday morning. They also serve soups, sandwiches and other casual fare.

For a more elaborate tribute to fall, check out the Autumn Harvest Brunch at Rein at the Garden City Hotel (516) 747-3000 every Sunday in November. A creation of Belgian Master Chef Steven De Bruyn, the menu ranges from the innovative—pumpkin-spiced salmon with lobster and white bean ragout; to the familiar—roasted pecan-crusted pork loin and apricot-glazed Long Island duck. The apple, an autumn mainstay, appears in the form of cinnamon apple waffles, hot spiced apple cider and caramel apples. A selection of pumpkin, pecan and apple pies complete the repast.

Lastly, a mention should be made about Long Island Wine Dinners being conducted by The Bohlsen Restaurant Group’s Verace in Islip (631) 277-3800, Tellers Chophouse in Islip (631) 277-7070 and H2O Seafood Grill in Smithtown (631) 361-6464 the whole month of November. The menus, utilizing local ingredients whenever possible, were co-designed by Chefs Cornelius Gallagher, Michael Meehan and Francesco Torre and the array of local wines were selected by Beverage Director Paulo Villela.